#this is why i usually avoid announcing this i always jinx myself....

[kithj]

ok sorry i overestimated my ability to finish this over the weekend. but this week FOR SURE

[bokutosworld]

first snow | iwaizumi h.

pairing: iwaizumi hajime x reader

wc: 2.1k words, fluff, best friends to lovers, confessions in winter.

summary: They say that whoever you are with during the first snowfall would be the person that you would be with forever. Iwaizumi wanted to test out this theory.

a/n: like i know it’s not yet winter or christmas but i couldn’t stop myself from imagining confessions in the holidays with bff!iwaizumi haha bye <3

--

As soon as the bell that signaled the end of the day rang across the school grounds, loud commotions reverberated inside the classrooms as students hurriedly stood and packed their things. The boys and girls of Aoba Johsai excitedly gathered in the hallways, laughters and deafening chatters filled the long stretch of the passage as they talked about their plans for winter break.

Unlike them, you weren't in a hurry, considering that the people you usually went home with would still have volleyball practice to attend to. It's been three years since you befriended the boys of the volleyball club through Iwaizumi. It was during first year in high school when your childhood friend brought you to one of the team's after-school hangouts. Since that day, you completely won them over with your humor and no-nonsense attitude, and the way you played along with them whenever they playfully teased Oikawa. It was appropriate enough to say that they considered you one of their honorary members and the Seijoh players always looked forward to your visits.

You briefly considered stopping by the gym and saying hello to the team before making your way home. It was also wise to let Iwaizumi and Oikawa - the two people that you walked home with - know that you already went ahead so that they won't worry about you.

But as you rounded the corner to where the shoe lockers were situated, you were surprised to see Iwaizumi leaning against the surface. Standing nonchalantly with his arms crossed over his chest, the half of his face was tucked in the maroon scarf that was wrapped around his neck and his eyebrows were furrowed as if he was deep in thought. He hasn't noticed your presence yet, and you had no intentions of making yourself known as you were still enjoying the way the afternoon sun was hitting his profile, warm hues of red and orange illuminating his face and making him look even prettier than usual. You were convinced that he was a descendant of Adonis with how unbelievably handsome he was. You definitely lucked out by having him as a best friend and you always thanked the gods for that.

Busy admiring your best friend, you missed how Iwaizumi lifted his head up to acknowledge you. Noticing your dazed state and silence, he cleared his throat to call your attention.

'Y/N, are you okay?' He was now standing in front of you, waving a hand to your face. 'Are you feeling sick? Are you seeing things in school? Because I don't like ghosts and if there are spirits roaming around, you have to tell me right now so we can get an exorcist.'

His ridiculous statement pulled you out of your trance and you immediately grab hold of his wrist. You shook your head and laughed, 'You're a dork, our schoolmates will have a field day if they discover this side of you.' You moved to your locker and swapped your indoor shoes with your boots. 'And you're right, I am seeing things. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at practice right now? I was going to stop by before I head home.'

He stood up straight and faced the school doors, patiently waiting for you to finish. 'Coach canceled the training today. He said something about enjoying the first day of break. We'll return to training here next week.'

'Ah, that's good.' You looked at him, nodding and he took that as a cue to start walking with you. 'But I bet Tooru stayed behind and insisted on getting a few practice serves. Am I right?' He scoffed, amused at how much you know Oikawa better than he does.

'You know I am your best friend and it wounds me whenever you say something about him. It feels like you know him better than you know me,' he playfully remarks. Bumping your shoulder to his, you reassured him that he had nothing to worry about.

'Oh, shush, Iwa-chan. Oikawa can never replace you in my life.' He narrowed his eyes at the nickname you used.

'Okay, first you wonder about where he is. And second, you use the annoying nickname he's coined. It's like you're purposely doing this to rile me up.' At this point, you were laughing like a crazy person, throwing your head back as you doubled in fits of laughter. People were looking at the both of you as you walked in the streets. And Iwaizumi was avoiding their stares and bowing in apology at the same time. He turned to you, elbowing your sides, 'Stop being so loud. You're honestly more embarrassing than Oikawa right now.'

Wiping the happy tears that formed in the corner of your eyes, you apologized to him. 'Alright, I'm sorry, sorry. It's just that it's been so long since we were able to walk home together like this. Usually, we'd be both be so tired after our club activities that we'd go home in silence.'

He smiled, internally agreeing that he also missed spending time with you after school. 'There was somewhere I wanted to go before we head home. Do you have time now?'

'Do I look like I have a life outside school, club activities, and you? I'm free all winter break. Where do you want to go?' You looked up at him in curiosity, and you saw genuine happiness flitter across his face.

'There's a Christmas Tree Lighting happening at the Town Square. Let's go.' Out of excitement, he took your hand in his and started dragging you with him, weaving through the crowds that has formed in the rush hour. 'It starts at 7 PM. We should be able to make it in time.'

You couldn't respond to his words as you were too lost in the feeling of large hands holding yours. Despite the gloves acting as a barrier from his touch, you could feel a sense of comfort and security in the way he protectively held you. This gesture was nothing new to the both of you, having held hands since you were little. But why was it that right now, it felt as if he was tugging at your heartstrings as he pulled you with him? Why was it that you could feel your heart thumping rapidly in your chest as your eyes blurred the surroundings and focused only on Iwaizumi?

You hadn't notice him stop his movements, causing you to collide with his back. He turned to you, taking your face in his hands as he inspected if you were hurt. For the second time in the afternoon, he asked, 'Are you okay? I didn't mean to stop abruptly.'

Waving him off, you said it was fine. He nodded, accepting your reasoning, 'Well, we're here. Look at that.' You turned your gaze to the giant tree, decorated with various garlands, wreaths, and a large gold star resting on top of it. Mesmerized, you and Iwaizumi couldn't help but be in awe at the same time, 'Wow.'

You both looked at each other, 'Jinx!' This was followed by a hearty laugh that both of you let out as you enjoyed the cheery atmosphere and began to be absorbed in the holiday spirit. There was still few minutes left on the countdown and as you waited you started to feel the cold in your body.

Iwaizumi noticed you were hopping lightly, moving your body to get some heat and not be frozen in place. You were always a light dresser and he figured you once again didn't check the weather forecast for today. Sighing, he took off his scarf and rendered you speechless as he delicately draped the cozy material around you. You looked at him with wide eyes and unconsciously, you were inching away from him, afraid that he could hear the wild beating of your heart.

'Maybe if you took some time in your morning to watch the weather news, you'd know that today would be the coldest since winter season began.' He expertly bundled you in his scarf, fixing the material in place. 'Then maybe, you'd have brought an extra muffler so you can keep warm.' He flicked your forehead before turning to admire the view in front.

1 minute

Words were caught in your throat and suddenly, it felt your chest was tightening from the overwhelming emotions you were currently feeling. Why was it that today of all days, Iwaizumi was being more considerate to you? Today of all days, he was being more relaxed and playful with you. Today of all days, his actions and words seemed to stir something inside you.

3, 2, 1

As the announcer finished counting, he pointed up to the tree that was immediately covered in bright lights. A Christmas jingle blasted from the speakers, and all around you, the audience were cheering and jumping for joy at the spectacle. But you couldn't join them as you were paralyzed in your place, observing the way Iwaizumi seemed to enjoy himself. His eyes were shining and the precious smile on his face was something you wished you could see forever.

Unknowingly, the corners of your own lips moved upwards and you felt happiness bubbling inside you. Just in time with Iwaizumi turning to look at you, you saw a tiny snowflake rain down between the both of you. Your eyes went wide, and you immediately angled your head upward to see that it was finally snowing.

'It's the first snow of the year.' You felt like a child that has been given a candy after a doctor's visit. To say that you were excited was an understatement. Iwaizumi watched as you removed your gloves and turned your palm up to catch some snowflakes. His own heart warmed at the sight of you in awe of the season.

'Hey, did you know that there's a saying that if you witness the first snowfall with someone you like, your love will come true.' He was too caught up in his own feelings and the situation that he couldn't have stopped the words from coming out of his mouth. He saw you pause, blinking once and then twice as you absorbed the words that he just said.

'Someone you like. Someone you like. Someone you like.' The more you turned that phrase over and over in your head, the more you felt confused. Stunned. Nervous. Dumbfounded.

Iwaizumi took the hand that was out in the air and you finally looked at him. 'You like me?' He chuckled at your puzzled response. Moving himself closer, the gap between the two of you decreased and you could almost feel his hot breath fanning your face.

'I do. I've liked you for a while now.' This time, you could feel affection in the way his eyes bore into yours. 'That's why I brought you here with me. Unlike some people, I heard that it was going to snow today and I know you love it. So I figured today would be the perfect day to confess.'

He planned all of this. You were speechless with how your best friend - who usually went with the flow, who usually allowed you to plan the day - one upped you and took you by surprise with his confession. You were about to say something when he added, 'Unless I read you and your feelings wrong and you really just see me as a best friend. Then today would just be embarrassing and I would very much likely hide under some hole right now.'

You giggled and this time, it was you who put both hands on his cheeks. Now you know why you were acting weird earlier. Looking at him, pouting as he waited for your acceptance or rejection, you also finally came to acknowledge the feelings you've been harboring towards him for a long time.

'Who knew you were this cheesy, Hajime?' He rolled his eyes at your teasing statement, bumping his forehead to yours. You continued, 'But I like this side of you. I like the way the lines in your forehead appear when you get serious or concentrate. I like the way you always go out of your way to help your juniors. I like every movie night we share, every walk home we talk, every late night calls we stay up for. I like you and the way I am around you.'

His heart soared at your words, and he brought his hands to your waist to bring you closer. 'Look who's cheesy now,' he whispered.

You pushed yourself from him, hitting his chest with your fist. 'Just shut up and kiss me.'

And though there were no mistletoes in place, it was under the pouring of the first snowfall  and as the pavements became covered in white, that you two felt warmth through your first kiss.

[jacpotts]

A Pretty Good Bad Idea | Crac

Who: @jacpotts & @crannogcruickshank & @heyjuliette

When: Saturday, February 16th

Where: The Charming Dance Hall

What: After getting matched by the matchmaker, Jac and Crannog start to see each other in a different light, mistakenly thinking that Julie and Mairi are at home during the snowstorm. 

Jac hadn't had much success with this matchmaker thing. Last year, it was someone fun but ultimately forgettable. But something compelled her to enter this year. Maybe it was the fact that she'd picked out such a cute outfit, she didn't want to waste it just wandering around to different friends. Maybe it was that small part of her that still hoped that fate would officially bring she and Rainier back together for good this time. But she just left it at the fact that she liked to be...hopeful. Optimistic. Open-minded, all of those things. She did not expect to be matched with Crannog. Hell, she hadn't expected that he'd entered the thing at all. Just a few days ago she'd said goodbye as he tipped her a few dollars for watching his daughter. Now they'd spent hours on this date and she somehow didn't mind the brewing storm outside. "It's really picking up out there, huh? Do you want to leave early so you can make sure Mairi isn't too afraid?" The question was a formality -- he was a father, Mairi was clearly his first priority. But she really didn't want this night to end.

Crannog hadn't had the clearest of heads lately. With Julie's New Year's feelings confession coming at him out of the blue, he'd been deep in thought, wondering if it was worth dredging up old feelings, wondering if they should put their daughter through exploring what might still be there between them... and in the end, he'd thought it was safer to just avoid it. To try and go on a Valentine's date with someone else, to walk a cleaner path. He'd figured there were lots of nice girls in Walt he could spend a pleasant evening with, to at least see if he had a hope of finding a spark with someone who wasn't Julie. He just hadn't expected the person he'd get matched with to be Jac . Enjoying himself hadn't been a surprise when he'd figured out who his company was, but the twinge of disappointment when she asked if he wanted to leave was . "She's Julie's daughter, so it's not like she's afraid of anything - although if I head home, maybe I could instill a little healthy dose of fear in her," Crannog chuckled. He tried to be the good influence parent, but it seemed some days that that was a losing battle. "Would it be weird if I asked if you wanted to come too? Maybe with two voices of reason, she'll actually believe us that she can't win the battle of small child vs. snow. And I'd hate for you to have to make it home in this alone later..."

Jac chuckled. "True, true, she's a brave one," she shook her head with a smile, thinking of the little girl. Her smile faltered a bit when he suggested she come with him if they were to leave early. Not because she was put off by it -- quite the opposite, actually, she was just surprised. "I mean, if you don't think Julie would mind," she shrugged. Having known Julie her whole life, she was probably more qualified to answer her own question -- Julie would definitely mind. Maybe not so much about this date, but she just never liked Jac that much to begin with. Mairi would be the only thing that would make being stuck in a storm with Julie bearable. "Yeah, I'd love to go with you. To be quite honest, I kind of don't want this night to end. It's been the best date I've had in....a long time." Of course, she hadn't been on many dates in a long time, so there wasn't much to compare to. But the sentiment still stood.

Crannog bit back a laugh at Jac's comment. They both knew Julie minded, but it was his home, too, and he could have whatever visitors he pleased, especially if they were ones his daughter liked. And especially if they kept him from having too much time alone with Julie for some kind of confrontation to occur. Spending time with Jac was so much less complicated. He felt lighter, and easier, and not that he'd ever want to escape from his family -- he loved them more than words could even express -- but it was certainly nice to have someone hovering just outside of the situation, someone who could both fit in with his daughter and fit into life outside the walls of his home, too. Crannog offered his arm to Jac, making a show of being gentlemanly, and admitted, "It's definitely the best date I've had in years. And by far the most fun I've had that doesn't involve a small child in a long time," he chuckled, about to lead Jac towards where their coats waited when the announcement came in that they were snowed in. His face fell, but only for a moment -- his daughter wasn't scared, and his phone still had a full charge, if he did need to call her and check in. Panicking wouldn't do him any good, so instead he shrugged, trying to make the best of the situation. "Well... that's one way to make sure the night doesn't end," he teased gently, not exactly hating the new circumstances.

Jac took hold of Crannog's extended arm, sighing as she held it close to her. This felt too nice. Crannog always seemed off-limits, like she had to look at him like some kind of sexless Ken doll just because he was Julie's ex. But getting to hang out with him away from all of that really put him in a new perspective. Just when she was about to offer to whip out her tea set if small child fun was his kind of thing, the announcement was made that they were on lockdown. "Oh, God, I jinxed us," she chuckled, giving his bicep a squeeze. "It looks like you're stuck with me til this storm blows over, I guess. Just you, me, and over a hundred sexually frustrated young adults who are now forced to spend the night here instead of canoodling in their cottages." She chuckled, taking Crannog by the hand and leading him away from the coat rack. "What could possibly go wrong, right?"

Crannog was usually so aware of his surroundings, but truth be told, he'd been so caught up in enjoying a night away from responsibility and tumultuous thoughts -- and maybe also just in how much he liked his date's company -- that he hadn't been very aware of his surroundings. "Truth be told, we've probably already missed about eight things that have gone wrong, is past events like this are anything to go off of," Crannog snorted. He didn't even know a lot of the younger kids these days to guess where the drama might have come from, which was a shame; he and Jac could have made a game out of guessing at it. "The next best thing to having you all to myself, having you with me to watch the chaos unfold." He bumped his hip against Jac's lightly, wondering where that had come from but not quite caring that he perhaps sholdn't have said it, not when Julie was probably at home fuming that he was on a date in the first place.

Jac laughed, nodding in agreement. "That is so true," she chuckled. Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, Jac eyed Crannog. "Wanna know a secret? I chaperoned homecoming a year ago and got drunk in the parking lot and had sex with my ex. I am complicit in the madness." She made an 'oopsie' kind of face and shrugged. That homecoming was not her proudest moment, but it was something she could laugh at, looking back. When Crannog bumped her hip, Jac couldn't help but blush at the words he'd said -- having her all to himself. She was a such a sucker for that kind of talk. "I mean, I'm sure we could find somewhere secluded so you don't have to settle for that," she teased with a smirk. "Besides, I worry about what exactly I'll see of my little brother out on this dance floor, he's ever the charmer." Jac rolled her eyes, knowing that Teegan had come into his own as a teen, and she did not want to see what that meant at a place like this.

Crannog burst out laughing at Jac's admission. "Well, that sounds like a lot more fun than watching your brother and his smooth moves," he told her, his eyes twinkling. Maybe he shouldn't find it so amusing, but Jac was strong and smart and had never struck him as someone who carried around too many regrets with her. Not like him -- he'd been so much more carefree once, before he'd missed most of the first few years of his daughters life and started constantly kicking himself for it the more he got to know her now. Tonight wasn't the night for that, though; Mairi was sure to be at home, with her mom, probably thinking that a terrifying snow storm was the most exciting thing to ever happen. And he was with one of the most interesting and beautiful people he knew -- Crannog needed to stop putting his own life on hold and start doing things for himself again. Why not start now? "I think that sounds like a solid plan... Although if you change your mind, we can always make up for lost time and chaperone your brother's prom or something. Although I'm not sure if we'd need to keep him out of trouble or you ," he teased her gently as he steered her more towards the outskirts of the dance, trying to find that more secluded spot that Jac had suggested they find.

Jac shrugged, laughing as her cheeks grew redder and redder. When she and Rainier had done that after the homecoming dance, it felt so serious. They fought about it for weeks and she felt like it had opened up so many old wounds. But mentioning it now, with another gorgeous man who was looking at her this way, the wounds may have finally been closed. Jac didn't like to think of herself as the type of girl who dwelled on the past, but her time in Walt did feel like she was just waiting for her and Rainier to fall back together. Maybe it was time to stop waiting. "It was! It's what the young people are calling 'backsliding', I guess, and it's just as fun as it sounds. Though I'm trying to make it a point to move forward, at least, for a while, now." She tossed that last part in as a hint, she supposed. Though when he hinted back, she figured that maybe she didn't need to. She and Crannog seemed to be thinking in the same direction and wow, she hadn't felt nervous around a guy in so long. "Hey, I can be a good girl if I need to," she teased back, giving Crannog's shoulder a nudge. "I just don't always need to. Especially when I'm 'feeling myself', like on nights like tonight." Finally, she spotted an empty corner nestled between the foyer and the dance hall itself and tugged him toward it. In her heels, the movement was a bit clumsy, as her back hit the wall a little harder than she anticipated. "Ow," she chuckled, nursing the bump on the back of her head with one hand and draping the other over Crannog's shoulder. "I'm still shocked that you were once not a goody-two-shoes."

Crannog was on the brink of asking her if she felt like she needed to be a good girl tonight when Jac seemed to answer the question for him. He smirked in spite of himself. "And who could blame you for feeling yourself?" Crannog nearly told her she wasn't the only one feeling her, but that was too forward, wasn't it? Too messy, too complicated, with who both their exes were and how their lives were all still intertwined? Still, it was hard to care. He'd spent the last few weeks so wound up, so worried about upsetting the delicate balance he and Julie had these days... But Julie was pushed far from his mind again as Jac tugged him towards the wall, chuckling at her as he snaked one arm around her back, giving her something a little softer than the hard wall to lean against. Crannog leaned closer to her, his face barely inches from hers as he whispered, almost like it was a secret. "Oh, definitely not a goody-two-shoes. Am I going to have to do something to help you believe it?"

Jac exhaled through her lips when Crannog’s hand found the small of her back, and she let a hand graze his bicep as he asked his question. Did she want him to prove it to her? Of course she did, who was she kidding? He was hot, and his eyes pierced hers, and he made her nervous, which was so rare. But was it worth the drama that she knew was inevitable? .......Honestly, maybe it was. “Be my guest.” She couldn’t wait any longer and snatched Crannog by the collar, fervently pulling his lips into hers. Jac ran her hands up from his collar into his hair, tangling her fingers into his curls. She hadn’t kissed anyone new in so long, her head clouded over with the sensation. The only thing that could have snapped her out of it was the loud girlish squeal that came from merely a few feet away. Who the fuck brought their kid to this thing? she found herself thinking, before putting the pieces together that there were pretty much only two children in this entire town, and only one of them was old enough to sound like that. She pulled away, met with her favorite little girl who had, at this moment, become her worst nightmare. Mairi. No wait, Mari’s mother who came stumbling up behind her was her worst nightmare.

Crannog had never been threatened by strong women who knew what they wanted -- obviously, if who had mothered his child was any indication. The way that Jac took the initiative, kissing him before he got the chance to stop teasing her and go for it himself, only made him enjoy it all the more, made him have to swallow a moan at how sure her motions were and how surprisingly right it felt. Just because his life was twined to Julie's forever didn't mean that he was hers forever, did it? Her recent confession still seemed like it must have been some kind of fever dream, some confused rambling on her part -- and her confession was also the farthest thing from his head as he pondered pulling Jac further into the shadows and showing her how bad he really could be. Soon, though, that thought too was banished as he pulled apart from Jac in shock, recognizing his daughter anywhere. "Mairi!" he exclaimed, trying to hide his sheepishness with his usual enthusiasm for his daughter's presence. If he acted like it wasn't a big deal, then it didn't have to be a big deal, right? If he brushed it off as if kissing her Aunt Jac was completely normal, then Crannog thought maybe he could get away without too much of an aftershock... and then he saw Julie. "I didn't know you two were coming," he explained, his voice calm even as he tried to sneak a hint of apology into it, turning between his family and Jac almost like a deer caught by headlights.

Julie really hadn't been trying to go to the dance at all. After Crannog rejected her New Year's confession by ignoring the fuck out of it, Julie was pretty content to just ignore the fuck out of love itself and just focus on her daughter. Except her daughter was way way more interested in talking about the big dance than she was in anything else Julie wanted to do that night. So despite how late it was to decide to go, Julie dressed herself and Mairi up in their nicest dresses and went to the dance under the condition that they'd only stay for a little while and try their best to not bother Crannog and whoever his date was. Which seemed to work fine for most of the time they'd been there, since they actually hadn't come across Crannog at all. But then, after finding out that the snow had gotten bed enough that they'd be locked in for the night, Julie decided that she didn't care that much about giving Crannog space and gave Mairi permission to hunt him down while she followed behind to make sure Mairi didn't get lost or trampled in the crowd. Even though Julie liked to avoid wondering if she and her brother were conceived while their father was still a beast, she had to admit her kid was a little unnaturally good at tracking her targets down, since Mairi managed to find Crannog within only a couple minutes. Right in time for them to see him making out with Mairi's favorite babysitter, a fact Mairi obnoxiously reminded her of with an excited squeal of delight that took Julie right out of the initial shock of running into Crannog getting steamy with Jac and straight into full on murderous rage. Of course he'd have gotten matched with Jac, of all bitches. The girl had been wedging her big ass head into Julie's family and on to her last nerves since they were kids and Jac regularly stole all of her twin brother's attention. "She wanted to come see the dance, so we had a change of plans." Julie crossed her arms over her chest and tried her best to keep her face and voice perfectly neutral in response, for Mairi's sake. "Jacqueline, it's super great you're here though. I'm sure Ri would love to hang out with you for a little bit, while her daddy and I chat, kay? Good." Julie didn't even bother waiting for anyone's response as she walked over to the pair, pushed Jac towards Mairi and pulled Crannog by the wrist in the opposite direction.